Nirvana are a band from the early 90's, exploding out of Seattle with their mix of metal, punk and melody that made them one of the defining bands that created grunge music. Kurt, Dave and Krist became icons, but it wasn't to last, as Kurt committed suicide in 1994.
This is an analysis of the music video released to promote the single Lithium from their second album Nervermind
The video made up entirely of live concert footage (as opposed to "live" footage shot in a studio or a dramatised sort of video with a story etc) we can assume that this would have been shot on their most recent tour and not only promotes the song and the band, but also their live shows, which are a major source of income for the band. The video shows the energy and tremendous presence of the band and their show, inviting people to come and experience this themselves.
Keeping this in mind then it is easy to see that there is actually very few links between the lyrics and the visuals, apart from the obvious, singing of the lyrics, and seeing Kurt Cobain singing them into the mic. However, there is one instance where a link can be made, with the lyric "I'm not gonna crack" in the bridge we see Kurt going wild and smashing up his equipment and guitar as well as the drum kit and smashing his head against the amplifier, being at odds with the lyrics on the level of " i will not go crazy (i will not crack)" and on the level of the equipment will not crack and break despite the abuse.
Instead of a link lyrically, there is a link visually, with the slower sections like the verse having long holds on one person or slow cross-fades between shots, whereas the more aggressive, energetic sections such as the chorus have faster cuts and more jolting and quick camera movements, with shots of the crowd as well, however, interestingly these shots have all been put into slow motion, or at the least, played slower than they were originally recorded at. Giving an odd and surreal feel, which may link to the meaning of the lyrics.
Being a video for a rock band, there are genre specific things we expect to see, and this video fulfils those, with the band being what you would expect, long haired male musicians, playing instruments on stage rather than a recording or synthesised songs, with a large and also mainly long haired crows. The macho element of rock music is unashamedly out on display in this video. The video also has a lot of close ups of the artists, to promote them as much as possible and so you know about them.
The video has elements of voyeurism as well. Because a concert is usually an event in which you must purchase a ticket, only a select few can see them at any one time, however this video lets everyone have a look and watch in on elements of their live shows, enticing them to pay money to see them live and it also gives a clue as to what they might expect should they pay to see the show.
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| A Nirvana gig from about 1991-92 |
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| a group photo of the band |
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